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8 PART II: MOVING THE PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FORWARD

PART II
MOVING THE PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FORWARD
A. The Criminal Justice System: An Overview
1. An Overview
The term criminal justice encompasses a chain of events, activities, tasks, or functions that
constitute the official response to perceived problems of law and order, which includes the
following: crime prevention and crime reduction; the arrest and prosecution of suspects; the hearing
of criminal cases by the courts; sentencing, administration and enforcement of court orders; parole
and other forms of license for prisoners; and work with offenders and ex-offenders in prison or in
the community.9
In the Philippines, the Criminal Justice System consists of
the system of courts, including the barangay justice system, the informal justice system
implemented through practice particularly by indigenous communities, and the quasi-judicial
bodies empowered by law to perform adjudicatory functions; the systems for law enforcement
and prosecution which involve investigating, apprehending and prosecuting those who could
not be deterred from violating the law and the rules of the society; the system of corrections
and rehabilitation or the means of rehabilitating offenders and returning them to the
community as law-abiding citizens; and the community which collectively imposes limitations
on individual behavior of citizens for the common good of civilized and democratic society
that deters criminality and criminal behavior.10

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has adopted the vision of the Criminal Justice System as
follows:
to provide the public an effective system or process in the community by which crimes are
investigated, and the persons suspected thereof are taken into custody, prosecuted in court
and punished if found guilty, with provision being made for their correction and rehabilitation,
and to provide the people the ability to seek and obtain a remedy through formal or informal
institutions, and in conformity with human rights standards.11

2. The Five Pillars of the Criminal Justice System


The CJS is envisioned as being supported by five pillars, namely: law enforcement; prosecution;
courts; corrections; and the community. Each of these five pillars plays a vital role in the
administration of justice and, as such, their interplay and cooperation is most necessary for the
proper functioning of a Criminal Justice System.
9

Bryan Gibson and Paul Cavadino, The Criminal Justice System: An Introduction, 9 (2008).

10

Supreme Court of the Philippines and UNDP, Conduct of Further Study on Operations and Linkages of the 5
Pillars of Justice Supreme Court of the Philippines: Final Report, 2-1 (March 2006) [hereinafter SC & UNDP, 2006
Final Report].

11

Supreme Court of the Philippines, UNDP, and UP-NCPAG, Medium-Term Development Plan for the Criminal
Justice System 2010-2016 (Dec. 2006).

ASSESSMENT OF THE CAPACITY OF THE PILLARS OF THE PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 9
a. Law Enforcement Pillar
The first pillar is the Law Enforcement Pillar. It consists mainly of the officers and personnel
of the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Armed Forces of the
Philippines, and 34 other related agencies. These agencies are at the forefront of the
Criminal Justice System of the country. They x x x directly deal with the citizens and are
directly exposed to the criminal elements.12 Clearly, it is thus necessary that the member
agencies within this pillar are both trained and well-oriented with the ways of civil society.13
Their work consists of the prevention and control of crimes, enforcement of laws
and effecting the arrest of offenders, including the conduct of lawful searches and seizures,
to gather necessary evidence so that a complaint may be filed at the Prosecutions Office.
Identified as the first point of contact with the community, this pillar initiates the CJS
machinery upon arresting a person believed to be a suspect.14
b. Prosecution Pillar
The second is the Prosecution Pillar, which is composed of the National Prosecution Service
of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Ombudsman, and the Public Attorneys
Office. While the focus of this pillar is the speedy disposition of cases,15 its principal task is
the investigation of criminal complaints emanating from the community and the law
enforcement agencies, and bringing these complaints to their successful prosecution in the
judicial system.16 The prosecution pillar conducts preliminary investigation of cases filed in
the prosecutors office and prosecutes cases filed in the court against alleged offenders
after probable cause is established.
c. Courts Pillar
The Courts Pillar adjudicates cases and renders judgment. The Philippine Judiciary is a fourtiered court system consisting of the Supreme Court as the highest court of the land; the
intermediate courts consisting of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax
Appeals; the second level courts, which consist of Regional Trial Courts and Sharia District
Courts; and the first level courts consisting of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial
Courts in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts and Sharia Circuit
Courts.
12

John Maru, Effective Administration of the Police and Prosecution in Criminal Justice of Papua New Guinea,
120th International Senior Participants Paper, 158 <http://www.unafei.or.jp/english/pdf/PDF_rms/no60/
ch11.pdf> (last accessed Nov. 28, 2010).

13

Id.

14

Felizardo Y. Francisco, Making a Difference in the Life of Students <http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/


opinion/27820-making-difference-in-the-life-of-students> (last accessed Nov. 29, 2010).

15

Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob, RPOC-NorMin formulates Integrated Area/Community Public Safety Plan <http:/
/www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&sec=reader&rp=1&fi=p060922.htm&no=9&date=09/22/2006> (last accessed Nov.
29, 2010).

16

SC and UNDP, 2006 Final Report, supra note 10, at 4-1.

10 PART II: MOVING THE PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FORWARD


The goal of the Courts Pillar is not merely to adjudicate cases, but to do so in
accordance with the Rule of Law and without sacrificing the quality of justice.17 Interestingly
enough, the overall performance of the CJS may be determined by the performance of the
Courts Pillar. Many of the factors that affect the disposition of a litigation such as those
that are in relation to the procurement of witnesses and evidence, the determination of
probable cause and the like are clearly outside of the control of the Judiciary. 18
Nevertheless, because the litigation process brings all these factors together, [t]he
performance of the courts therefore would serve to synthesize to a large extent the overall
performance of the criminal justice system.19
d. Corrections Pillar
Comprising the Corrections Pillar are the jails and prisons administered by the Bureau of
Corrections (BUCOR), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and by the local
government units with regard to provincial and subprovincial jails. The Philippine National
Police likewise maintains detention facilities in its different police stations nationwide.
The Corrections Pillar may also be classified into two: institution-based and
community-based corrections.20 On one hand, the institution-based corrections include
prisons and jails which house prisoners serving terms of imprisonment; under detention
status; and those for safekeeping in selected cases. On the other hand, community-based
corrections pertain to probation and parole. These are being managed by the Parole and
Probation Administration of the DOJ. PPA conducts a post-sentence investigation of
petitioners for probation as referred by the courts, as well as pre-parole/pre-executive
clemency investigation for those referred by the Board of Pardons and Parole, to determine
the suitability of the offender to be reintegrated in the community instead of serving their
sentence inside an institution or prison. The PPA further supervises probationers, parolees
and conditional pardonees to promote their rehabilitation and reintegration to the
mainstream of society. It mobilizes the community resources, especially through volunteer
probation aides.21
e. Community Pillar
The Community Pillar is composed of institutions such as the Department of Social Welfare
and Development, Commission on Human Rights, National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples, Public Attorneys Office , barangays, civic organizations, and non-governmental
organizations. Members of the Community Pillar are regarded to be both duty holders and

17

UN Human Rights Committee, Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 40 of the
Covenant [ICCPR], Second Periodic Report, The Philippines, Part I, F 370 at 71, UN Doc. CCPR/C/PHL/2002/2
(Sept. 18, 2002).

18

UN General Assembly [U.N.G.A.], Human Rights Council Working Group on Universal Periodic Review, National Report Submitted in accordance with Paragraph 15(a) of the Annex to the Human Rights Council Resolution 5/1 The Philippines, Part III, 131 at 17, UN Doc. A/HRC/WG.6/1/PHL/1 (March 7, 2008).

19

Id. (emphasis supplied).

20

SC & UNDP, 2006 Final Report, supra note 10, at 2-6.

21

Id.

ASSESSMENT OF THE CAPACITY OF THE PILLARS OF THE PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 11
claimholders in the administration of justice.22 As duty holders, they have the responsibility
to assist law enforcement and the courts in solving crime by providing information, by
community participation in crime prevention and creating a culture of peace, and by
supporting the mobilization of resources for peace and order.23 As claimholders, they are
the beneficiaries of the justice system and they play critical roles in holding system duty
holders accountable.24 Likewise,
[i]t is x x x emphasized that the community as a subsystem of the whole cyclical
process is the most critical and useful component of the Criminal Justice System
considering its massive and pervasive composition. This also plays a crucial role
towards the societys common goal of a fair and equal administration of justice
either victims or criminals.25

The importance of the Community Pillar cannot be overemphasized. In its own


manner, it ideally participates in two main responsive roles of the CJS: first, that of crime
prevention, and second, that of victim prevention.26 As for the first, this pillar collectively
imposes limitations on individual behavior of citizens that deter criminality and criminal
behavior for the common good of civilized and democratic society.27 Meanwhile, in relation
to the second, it has been recommended that communities must disseminate more
information regarding the roles and functions of the other components of the CJS, as well as
broaden its own, in order to responsively contribute to victimization prevention.28
Ultimately, criminals will come from the community and some will return to it.29
From this alone, it can be seen how much impact the Community Pillar can have in the
rendition of justice. By participating in government programs, though not entirely related
to the criminal justice system such as livelihood programs and the like, the community can
therefore help lessen the crimes by diverting what would be criminal enterprise into
something more productive.30 Additionally, by aiding in the capturing of criminals and in
their subsequent prosecution, they can likewise ensure proper and just redress for crimes.31
3. The Interrelation and Cooperation Between and Among the Pillars of the CJS
Given that the pillars operate in just one system, the efficiency and effectiveness of one can easily
be hampered by the inefficiency and incompetence of the other, notwithstanding the fact that they
22

Id.

23

Id.

24

Id.

25

Ma. Millagros M. Matias and Melchor Julianes, Communitys Participation in the Criminal Justice System
Process: Impact on Victimization Prevention <http://www.philjol.info/index.php/EACRB/article/viewFile/
871/801> (last accessed Nov. 26, 2010).

26

Id.

27

SC and UNDP, 2006 Final Report, supra note 10, at 2-7.

28

Matias and Julianes, supra note 25, at 38.

29

Maru, supra note 12, at 160.

30

Id.

31

Id.

12 PART II: MOVING THE PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FORWARD


function separately. This is because [n]o pillar can operate in isolation for the performance of each
impacts on the other. 32 The system is a step-by-step process, where many of the roles are
independent, interconnecting and overlapping.33 Therefore, in order for the system to operate
smoothly, cooperation, coordination and concerted efforts of the pillars, namely the police, the
prosecutors, the judiciary as well as the correctional services are necessary. The figure below shows
the interaction between and among the Pillars of the Philippine CJS.

FIGURE 2.1 THE FIVE PILLARS OF THE PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Acknowledging that each pillar depends on the other, it cannot be stressed enough that for
the Philippine CJS to be effective, coordination between and among the different pillars must be
strengthened. A stronger CJS will, undoubtedly, not only result in a safer and more just society but
also, inevitably, contribute to the economic development of the country. This is because it is
believed that there exists a link between economic development and amenities such as low
crime rate.34 For a developing country like the Philippines, there is thus more reason to engage in
the assessment and improvement of its CJS. An investment of effort in this exercise can certainly
prove to be economically beneficial for all.
32

Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Right and Righteous Justice, Speech delivered at the PNP Ethics Day, Camp
Crame, Quezon City (Jan. 7, 2008).

33

Ina Reformina, Replacing Punitive Justice with Restorative Justice <http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/


11/16/10/replacing-punitive-justice-restorative-justice> (last accessed Nov. 29, 2010).

34

Catherine L. Lawson and Joanne Katz, Urban Economic Development and Restorative Justice: Exploring the
Relationship Between Creativity and Crime Control <http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/
167934473.html> (last accessed Nov. 29, 2010).

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